The Lady in the White Tower
By
UCSBdad
Disclaimer: I own neither towers nor castles. Rating: K Time: In an AU future, or perhaps an AU past.
Queen Aisa sighed. "Back when humans roamed among the stars, they found our world. We were not as advanced in technology as the humans, but we were far from being unlettered savages. We learned quickly. However, for reasons now lost to us, humans began to fight among themselves with weapons that could decimate entire planets. We don't know why, perhaps we merely picked the wrong side, but the humans attacked us. There were only a few thousand of us on Serendip and the humans killed many of us. The rest fled here. We still had such things as flying machines and other wonders, long since rusted away, and here we settled while war raged outside of our valley. When the war was at last over, humans still feared and hated us, so here we stayed. I trust you will not betray our secret?"
"Never."
"Good. I believe you are an honorable man." The Queen yawned. "It is late, and we must discuss your payment to cross our lands tomorrow."
Once in bed, Kate rolled on top of Castle.
"Lover, I didn't mean to put you on the spot before Queen Aisa. If you don't wish to wed, I will understand and…"
"You have out me in a spot I have wanted to be in my entire life, Kate. I will marry you if that is your wish."
"It is. However, we can hardly tell our children and grandchildren the true story of how you proposed."
"True. We can't mention the tigeries, can we? We have plenty of time to think of a story where I got down on my knees and begged you to marry me."
Kate laughed. "It might be better if we agreed to tell our children it was a mutual decision."
"Perhaps you're right."
"Of course, I'm right." She teased.
When they met with Queen Aisa the next morning, Castle was curious about something.
"Why do you need steel weapons and tools from afar? I see you have smithies and other metal workers."
"We make mostly iron tools and weapons and a bit of low grade steel. Over the centuries we have lost the ability to make better steel, as we have lost so much more. Regrettably, out valley contains few of the things we need to make better steel."
"That's so." Said Kate. "I have told them how to make better steel, but they lack a number of things here. Perhaps one day."
They agreed on a price and soon Rick, Kate and Lotus were headed back down the narrow trail in the Shieldwall to where their expedition waited.
"When you spoke to Queen Aisa, you said you'd be wed at home before your family. Where is your home and family and when will I meet them?"
"Getting anxious, Castle?" She said with a smile. "You'll meet them soon enough."
They found their small army ready to go and after Rick and Kate had rested for a day, the whole army headed up the trail. They found the wooden barrier and placed the agreed upon tools and weapons before the barrier, then backed off for a bit. When they came back the next morning, the barrier, and the steel were gone.
It took two more days to get to the crest of the Shieldwall and another four to go down. Moving the wagons down the steep trail was much more difficult than going up as the wagons had a tendency to runaway on the steepest parts, ending with the loss of two wagons, smashed to bits. However, most of the cargoes survived and were loaded into the remaining wagons. The redheads seemed to have no trouble with Lady Kate's wagons.
"In another two days, we'll reach the lands of the Agathokles. They'll take us down the River Maranassas, in their boats. They're great boatmen and know the river well. We'd not make it without them and the lands on either side of the river are so broken that neither wagon or horse could cross safely.
But the Agathokles would not be taking them down the river. They had been conquered by another tribe, the Zininni. The Agathokles were short, powerfully muscled and dark of skin and hair. The Zininni were tall, also well-muscled and fair. They oiled their bodies and their fair hair. Their hair stood out from their heads in stiff curls.
Long Jehan went to talk to them and then came back.
"They say we can't travel down the river for another four months."
"Why?" Castle asked. "We'll pay them in good steel weapons and tools. I can see from here they have little metal."
"It's a religious problem. They say that the Agathokles have insulted the River God with No Name by allowing unbelievers to travel on the river. Their shamans have said it will take another four months before the river can be traveled without insulting the god."
"You say we can't go around the river, using the banks?"
"And we can't go down the river on boats. Even if we grabbed some boats, we'd never make it past the rapids, and there are lots of rapids."
"The problem really is religious?" Kate asked. "They aren't just using that as an excuse to jack up the price?"
"I spoke to them through an Agathokles interpreter. He said they forbid traveling on the river long before we got here."
Kate smiled. "In that case, I'll go talk with them."
"I don't see what good that will do." Said Long Jehan. "They're stubborn."
"It can't do any harm then, can it?" She said, as she dismounted and walked towards the Zininni.
She spoke with them for far longer than Long Jehan had, and several older men had come forward to talk to her. But, in the end she had come back.
"Will they let us go?" Asked Castle.
"Not now, but they may change their minds soon. I believe it's about dinner time. I think we have some of that smoked venison left. Would that suit you?"
Castle followed her as she walked to her wagon.
Later that night as they slept, Castle was woken by some commotion some distance away.
"I have to go see what it is. I'll be back." He told Kate.
"It's probably nothing." She murmured, rolled over and went back to sleep.
Castle found Long Jehan, Esposito and several other officers standing at the edge of the camp, staring at the village of the Zininni.
"What happened?"
"Don't know, Baron." Esposito said. "There was a bright flash of light and then silence, and then a lot of screaming and shouting from the village. Now it sounds like they're moaning. Should we send a patrol to investigate?"
Castle shook his head. "No. If this is some kind of religious ceremony, we'll just upset them. But double the guards just in case. Let me know if anything happens."
He went back to Kate's wagon and crawled into bed next to her and was soon fast asleep.
Just after breakfast, a delegation from the village came to them.
Long Jehan talked to them. "Lady Kate, Baron Castle, the Zininni now say the Agathokles will carry us down the river, no charge. Any time we want, but preferably as soon as possible."
"Why did they change their minds?" Castle wondered out loud.
"Benthar, the head Zininni, says they were visited last night by the River God with No Name. He says the God have them hell for not allowing people to travel on his river. The God told them the whole purpose of this river is to carry people and they'd better get to it."
"Then we'd better get to it. We need to start getting the army ready." Then Castle turned to Kate. "You wouldn't have anything to do with this, would you?"
Kate just laughed. "Don't you think a river god can handle his own worshippers without my intervention?"
In fact, no one in the army didn't think that Lady Kate wasn't responsible for the changes in the minds of the Zininni, but no one said a word. She was Lady Kate and she was on their side.
The army was ferried down the river with all its men, and women, horses and mules, and wagons, with no problems. Oh, there were many near misses, and several times Castle thought that he and Lady Kate and the others on their boat would go into the rapids of the river, but each time the skills of the Agathokles boatmen saved them.
The river finally came out of the rough country to another rolling plain, dotted with small agricultural villages and lone farms. Metal tools were nearly unknown here and they were able to buy fresh food very cheaply.
After nearly three weeks, Long Jehan led the to a small stream.
"This stream will flow to the west for many miles until it becomes a river of some size. That river will flow into the World Ocean at Port Down and when we get there, we will have crossed the entire Land to the West. A few small parties have done so, but no expedition of our size has ever done so. By the Good God, we will be famous."
Indeed, the river did become broader and it flowed more swiftly, and soon they gazed upon a small town nestled in a small bay, and beyond that was the World Ocean.
"Rider coming." Announced one of Sandrall's scouts.
Indeed, three riders were coming, two in chain mail, one of whom had a green banner, and another dressed in rough leathers with a wide brimmed hat on his head. They stopped in front of Castle and Lady Kate.
"Ye'd be the folks what has come frae the t'other side? Ye be Imperials?" Said the leather clad man, taking off his hat with a flourish. He was quite bald and appeared to be old.
"I am Baron Richard Castle. I am escorting Lady Katherine Beckett with my regiment of horse. And you are?"
"Why, I'm Old Will. Found one day as an infant by the church door. Had a few family names, but never a family, so I'm just Old Will now."
"You knew of our coming?" Kate asked.
"Oh, for a month or more. News travels, travels fast, it do. So, everyone in town knows ye're coming. Mostly, the folks have been busy raising their prices on everything." He laughed, a high pitched cackling. "But, the governor wants to see you. Tomorrow will be fine. Meanwhiles, ye can camp here by yon river, there be water here and grazing for your animals." Old Will turned in his saddle and looked behind him. "There's fifty merchants frae town if there be one headed here. Whatever they're selling can be bought cheaper in town tomorrow."
The soldier carrying the flag said something in a language that none of the others understood.
"Yes, I'm to tell you you're welcome to Port Down and that we offer you peace." He cackled again. "The governor don't have but seventy five soldiers about, so we damned sure offer peace." Old Will laughed again and rode off with his two companions.
The only merchants that had any success were those selling alcohol, and they did quite well.
Early the next morning, Castle had his armor polished and his clothing cleaned. Somehow, the redheads had managed to clean them more thoroughly than they had ever been cleaned before.
He once again faced a redhead who needed to be thanked.
"Thank you for cleaning my clothing Alana." He said confidently.
As usual, the girl curtsied. "Thank you, Baron Castle, however, I'm Alexis."
Castle just smiled.
Orlando, his servant, brought his freshly curried horse. His saddle had been cleaned and the leather polished.
Kate came out, riding Pegasus, wearing her usual pristine white gown.
Castle had decided to take and escort of ten armored cavalrymen and ten horse archers to meet the governor. He inspected them and found them to be as well armed, equipped and mounted as any in any army.
"Are we ready, Lady Kate?"
"We are, Baron Castle."
TBC